Masters Of Adaptation
by Invader Lana
Summary: A broken staff. A childish tantrum. A genius locked in his lab. Has Raphael doomed them all? Oneshot. Please R


**I don't own TMNT, but man, if I did...**

**Just something that popped into my head a few days ago. I don't normally do oneshots, so any feedback is appreciated.  
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**Enjoy!  
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* * *

SNAP!

"Aargh!" Donnie whined, staring down at his hands where his bo staff was in pieces, "Raph, that's the third time this week you've broken my staff!" He threw his useless weapon to the floor, his arms stiff at his sides as he glared angrily at his brother.

Grinning, the red clad turtle shrugged, "Eh, well you shouldn't have given me the chance." Donnie's fists shook with rage as he clenched is jaw. This made Raphael's smile widen. "The way I see it, Donatello, you have two options," he smirked crossing his arms over his chest, "Either you can get a better weapon, or you can get better at ninjutsu."

Donnie couldn't restrain himself any longer, and launched himself at the Sai wielder, tackling him to the floor and pinning him. Raph growled up at his brother, not at all appreciating the sudden invasion of his personal space. Placing a strong hand on the purple clad turtle's plastron, he shoved him up and kicked him off.

"Calm down, Donnie," Raph growled, "What the shell has gotten into you?" He stood up quickly and quickly resumed his previous stance with his arms folded across his plastron, awaiting the taller ninja's reply. When Donatello showed no signs of speaking up, Raph began to tap his foot impatiently.

Donnie wasn't phased by his brother's interrogating gaze. Instead, he merely sat back, pulling his knees up to his chest and folding his arms on top of them and his chin on top of that, scowling at the wall opposing him luck a grumpy little kid.

Growling again in frustration, Raphael rolled his eyes, and knelt down to his brother's eye level. He stared into Donnie's eyes, attempting to soften his glare. "Donnie, what's wrong?" he asked, trying his best to express his concern without sounding too sensitive and out of character. He might have been genuinely concerned for his brother, but he still had a reputation to uphold!

His gaze unmoving, Donatello shook his head so slightly that Raph wouldn't have seen it if he wasn't paying such close attention. "It isn't anything important," he mumbled. Seeing the expression on Raph's face, he knew the shorter turtle didn't believe him, "Its not your problem, Raphael."

Raph snorted, "Don, you just tackled me for breaking your staff! You break the damn thing almost every time you go into combat, so it shouldn't even phase you by now!" Placing a comforting hand on Donnie's shoulder, he asked in a much softer voice, "What's really bothering you?"

"The damn STAFF!" Donnie screeched, causing Raph to retract his hand quickly and stumbled backward slightly in his squatting position, "it makes me feel pathetic that I'm frequently losing in fights because of it! To the Kraang, getting hit with a wooden stick is the equivalent of being tickled with a feather."

Frowning, Raph said quietly, "So it was about the staff breaking then."

"Yes!" Donnie cried clenching his fists, "I'm sick of having to replace my weapon! When was the last time you replaced your Sai?"

Raph shrugged, looking down at his treasured weapons, "I'unno, a few years ago, I guess."

"My point exactly," Donnie sighed, laying back on his shell and staring at the ceiling of the dojo, his frustration beginning to tire him out.

The red banded ninja tapped his chin thoughtfully, causing the other turtle to hold back a laugh. Since when does Raphael think?

"Well," Raph started, "Why don't you upgrade your weapon? And I DON'T mean in the same way you did last time!" he added with a scowl, "That Metalhead creation of yours was the biggest annoyance since Mikey's birth!"

Donatello chuckled softly at the memory of the little ninja robot he had been so fond of. Raph was right though, another Metalhead wasn't the answer. "Any suggestions?"

"Jeez, I dunno," Raph scratched his hand across his plastron, "A metal staff? A mace? Hell, bring one of your heavy textbooks or encyclopaedias into battle and whack them Kraang upside the head a few times!"

"Oh very funny," Donatello frowned at his older brother.

"Hey, you're the resident genius," Raph shrugged, "I'm just trying to help. The final decision is ultimately up to you."

Biting his lower lip, Donnie thought hard for a moment. Raph stared at the taller ninja, seeing the cogs in his brain turning.

"I've got it!" Donnie announced suddenly, his face lighting up. He quickly stood up and headed out of the dojo. "Thanks Raph!" he called over his shoulder.

Raph just stared after Donnie, both curious and terrified about whatever it was that Donnie had decided on.

* * *

"Hey Raph, have you seen Donnie?" Leonardo asked his younger brother upon entering the lounge room.

Sighing heavily, Raphael lowered his comic book a fraction, using his head to gesture behind him, toward the aforementioned turtle's lab. "Braniac is working on a new weapon for himself."

Leo's eyes widened a little, "You don't mean-"

"-no, he's not remaking that damned toaster," Raph interrupted him, "at least, I don't think he is. I _did_ see his brain working overtime when we were brainstorming, and right before he disappeared on me, he had that expression on his face." Raph and Leo exchanged a knowing look.

"Uh, I might just... go and make sure he isn't about to obliterate the lair," the blue clad turtle decided quickly, turning and hurrying in the direction of Donnie's lab.

With a slight shrug, Raph returned his attention to his comic book. It was only a few moments before he gave a heavy sigh, dropping his favourite comic onto the couch beside him and standing to follow after his oldest brother. "Hell, now he's got me even more worried!"

* * *

"NO! Stay out!" Donnie yelled at Michelangelo, "I've told you already that I'm working, now leave me alone, Mikey!"

On the other side of the lab's door, the little orange banded turtle pouted, "But Donnie, I'm so bored! I promise I'll stay out of your way, just please let me in." When no response was heard, Mikey tried again, "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Still no reply. Mikey sighed, letting himself slide down the door and sulk on the floor, "You're mean, Donnie." An audible thud, followed by an annoyed groan, was heard on the other side of the door, which Mikey had heard enough in the past to recognise as the sound of Donnie face-planting his desk.

Mikey sighed again, running his fingers across the floor. His face crinkled up slightly when his fingers collected a great amount of dirt and dust. Trust Raph to not do his ONE chore.

"Mikey?" came a voice that the youngest turtle recognised as his eldest brother's. Mikey glanced up to see both Leo and Raph headed down the hallway toward him. "What are you doing down there?" Leo asked, sounding suspicious.

"Admiring Raph's wonderful cleaning abilities," Mikey replied sarcastically, getting an eye roll from the second eldest brother, "and I _was_ trying to get into Donnie's lab to watch him work, but he said I can't. He thinks I'll get in the way or break something."

"Probably true," Raph chimed in, earning a scowl from his little brother.

Shaking his head, Leo stepped over Mikey and knocked gently on Donnie's door.

"What?" Came the agitated voice of their genius brother.

"Donnie," Leo started with a sigh, "Come on, open the door. We just want to make sure you're not making anything lethal in there."

"Pff!" Michelangelo rolled his eyes, "That'll never get him to come out." As soon as the words left the nun-chuck wielder's mouth, the door he had been leaning against was pulled open a fraction.

"Gah!" Mikey cried as he fell back and hit his head, "Ow!"

Donnie popped his head through the small crack in the door, "Sorry Mikey." Mikey didn't move, instead choosing to glare up at his brother from his uncomfortable position.

"Donnie, what are you making in there?" Leo asked, trying to get a glimpse of the genius's desk over his shoulder.

"Would you stop?" Donatello frowned, "I'm not telling you because I want it to be a surprise!"

Raph growled, "Donnie, not that we don't trust you- Scratch that, we don't trust you." he cracked his knuckles and took a step forward, "stand aside or I'll _make_ you!"

Donnie flinched, readying himself to slam and lock the door in Raph's face if he attempted to barge his way in. Mikey saw this and quickly scrambled away from the door.

"Raph, don't," Leo said sternly, causing the hot-head to growl again, "Donnie, if you're that determined to keep it a secret, then fine. Next time, you may want to explain that to Mikey beforehand. You know he doesn't take a hint."

They all ignored a whiny "Hey!" from the youngest turtle as Donnie nodded.

"So can I get back to work now?" Donnie asked his leader, "I want to finish this before our next training session."

With a single nod, Leo held Raphael back and allowed Donnie to close his door.

Raph growled at his older brother, "You know I could have easily beaten him down to find out what this new weapon is."

Leo laughed, "Afraid you might have doomed us all, Raph?" Raph's glare darkened.

"I'm gonna trust Donnie," Mikey piped up, "he'd never make the same mistake twice."

"Can't argue with that," Leo shrugged, a little surprised that it was Mikey who had said it. He began following his youngest brother down the hallway, "Let's go get something to eat and meet Donnie in the dojo later."

Sighing heavily, Raphael trudged along behind his siblings.

* * *

"Mikey, Master Splinter said we're not allowed food or drinks in here," Leo stated in his best big brother voice, just a hint of the whiny, dobbing little kid inside him coming out.

"But I needed a soda!" Mikey protested as he sat on the floor of the dojo with Raphael.

"You drink too much soda," Raph stated.

Mikey frowned, "I need the energy boost for training."

Leo rolled his eyes, "You know what a good source of energy is, Mikey? Fruit."

Raph snorted, "Heh, he _is_ a fruit."

"Your face is a fruit," Michelangelo retorted.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Raph yelled.

Doesn't have to," Mikey grinned, "at least I had a comeback."

Raphael opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words to insult his brother. Leo burst out laughing as he sat down with them, "Mikey got you, Raph!"

"Ah, whatever," Raph snapped, crossing his arms and facing himself away from his brothers.

A few moments later, the dojo door slid open, and a very pleased looking Donatello bounded through and stood in front of his brothers.

"Gentlemen, and Raphael-"

"-That joke is old, Donnie!" Raph interrupted.

Everyone ignored him as Donnie continued, "I have finally finished my new, perfect weapon."

"W-what is it?" Mikey asked, feeling a little uneasy because of the look on his brother's face.

Donatello's grin widened, "You know how we all love video games?"

"Yeah," the other three turtles responded in unison, their expressions of fear and curiosity matching.

"And you know how in video games, you never _really _die?"

"Yeah," they replied again.

"Why do you think that is? Donnie asked, taking a step back toward the door.

"Oh! Oh!" Mikey bounced up and down on his knees, his hand flying up in the air, "Because you have multiple lives!" He gasped and his eyes widened, "Did you create us multiple lives?" Leo face-palmed and Donnie shook his head.

"You shell brain!" Raph half laughed at his brother's stupidity, "Even Donnie isn't smart enough to do that!"

"I would be if it were possible," Donnie mumbled, "What's _you're _answer then, Raph?"

"Because the weapons are insane and completely non-existent," Raphael shrugged.

"Bingo," Donnie grinned as he closed the dojo door and reached behind his back.

"Donnie, what exactly did you make?" Leo asked, sounding uneasy.

"Well, Master Splinter says that we're supposed to be masters of adaptation, so I used modern weapon ideology to come up with a new weapon that I will be able to wield effectively." he said happily. "You guys like Halo, right?" His grin widened even more as he pulled a small device from his back and flipped a switch on the side. The weapon instantly lit up, causing Michelangelo to squeal excitedly.

"ENERGY SWORD!"

"Energy _staff_" Donnie corrected him, grinning from ear to ear. Narrowing his gaze at Raph, Donnie asked, "Want to try and break this one, Raphie?"

Although the shock, intimidation and slight annoyance at being called 'Raphie' were apparent in the Sai wielder's eyes, he stood up and emitted a low growl as he readied himself for battle.

"I can't wait to break this new toy."


End file.
